• Expression of Interest

    Visual Localization for Smart Cities and Digital Urban Twins

    Our research group focusses on novel methods for creating and exploiting 3D urban models and digital urban twins, with a special focus on exploiting streetlevel imagery for high-precision positioning, 6DOF visual localization and AI-based information extraction. We possess a substantial experience and a proven track record in applied research in multi-dimensional geoinformation technologies and solutions (for selected publications, see below). This includes:

    • Development of 3D GIS technologies (e.g. DILAS, one of the world's first 3D GIS)
    • Image-based 3D mobile mapping solutions (with the succesful spin-off iNovitas AG www.inovitas.ch)
    • Novel 3D representations of urban spaces such as 3D image spaces or rich point clouds
    • Cloud-based management and exploitation of city- to nation-wide professional streetview services
    • Portable mobile mapping solutions with high-precision georeferencing approaches
    • High-precision 6DOF visual localization approaches based on large-scale streetlevel imagery
    • Development of a broad range of UAV-based 3D mapping, monitoring and remote sensing solutions

    We are interested and prepared to contribute to a proposal for the MultiGIS call, with a focus on resarch topics such as:

    • Digital urban twins - with a special focus on incorporating and exploiting streetlevel imagery
    • 3D visual localization and positioning (exploiting digital twins / MultiGIS environments)
    • AI-based information extraction

    We possess a comprehensive collection of 3D reality capturing technologies, including handheld mobile mapping devices and backpacks, UAVs etc. We also have access to high-end mobile mapping vehicles and to large-scale high-quality streetlevel imagery datasets and services which could serve as a valuable basis and source for developing and evaluating novel MultiGIS concepts and prototypes.

    Selected own publications related to MultiGIS research topics:

    Nebiker, S., Meyer, J., Blaser, S., Ammann, M., & Rhyner, S. (2021). Outdoor Mobile Mapping and AI-Based 3D Object Detection with Low-Cost RGB-D Cameras: The Use Case of On-Street Parking Statistics. Remote Sensing, 13(16), 3099. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13163099

    Rettenmund, D., Fehr, M., Cavegn, S., & Nebiker, S. (2018). Accurate Visual Localization in Outdoor and Indoor Environments Exploiting 3D Image Sapces as Spatial Reference. The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, XLII–1, 355–362. https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLII-1-355-2018

    Nebiker, S., Cavegn, S., & Loesch, B. (2015). Cloud-Based Geospatial 3D Image Spaces—A Powerful Urban Model for the Smart City. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 4(4), 2267–2291. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi4042267

    Nebiker, S., Bleisch, S., & Christen, M. (2010). Rich point clouds in virtual globes – A new paradigm in city modeling? Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, 34(6), 508–517. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2010.05.002

    Nebiker, S. (2003). Support for Visualisation and Animation in a Scalable 3D GIS Environment. International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Vol. XXXIV-5/W10. https://www.isprs.org/proceedings/XXXIV/5-W10/papers/nebiker.pdf

     

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